FESTIVALS LIST

Posted: March 12, 2010 - 12:08pm

HARVEST OF HOPE FEST

March 12-14: The Harvest of Hope Fest (HOH) returns to the St. Johns County Fairgrounds for 2010. Headliners include national and international acts including Billy Bragg, Dr Dog, The Mountain Goats, Leatherface, Rogue Wave, Delta Spirit, Senses Fail, Anti-Flag, Dead Prez, Kimya Dawson, Samiam, Torche, Strike Anywhere, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Dr. Octagon AKA Kool Keith, Small Brown Bike, Portugal, plus more than 150 more artists joining together to raise awareness to the plight of migrant farm workers. This three-day, multiple stage alternative music festival will benefit and raise awareness for the Harvest of Hope Foundation (www.harvestofhope.net), a not-for-profit organization that provides financial, educational and medical aid to migrant farmworkers all over the country. The event emphasizes the focus on being family friendly, as well as environmentally friendly. The event will not only showcase a large group of musicians who are donating their time and performances to the cause, but will also showcase a variety of art shows and films from progressive artists, non-profits, local businesses and progressive organizations from around the country. Tickets are $29.50. Go to www.harvestofhopefest.com to purchase tickets and for festival information.

ST. AUGUSTINE SEAFOOD FESTIVAL

March 12-14: Seafood specialties of all sorts will be center stage during the 29th Annual St. Augustine Lions Club Seafood and Music Festival. Held at Francis Field in downtown St. Augustine, seafood vendors, arts and crafts, live music and other activities will be featured throughout the three-day event. Hours are 3 to 9 p.m. March 12; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. March 13; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 14. Go to lionsfestival.com.

SOUTHERN EXPOSURE FESTIVAL

March 14: Stetson Kennedy, a renowned Florida author and human rights activist, will be hosting the 2nd Annual Southern Exposure Music & Heritage Festival at Alpine Groves Park. The event features Arlo Guthrie and the Guthrie Family, Ramblin' Jack Elliot, Lonesome Bert and the Skinny Lizards, Frank Thomas, Alvah Allen, Willie Green, Shorty Robbins, Anne Feeney and the best in old time music, country, bluegrass, folk and blues. Activities include storytelling, cultural exhibits, a barn dance, old Florida vendors, pony rides, crafts and Southern cookin'. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Stetson Kennedy Foundation & the Guthrie Foundation. Gates open at 11:30 a.m., and the music starts at noon and ends at sundown. Alpine Grove River Park, 2060 State Road 13, contains 54.5 acres and is in northwestern St. Johns County between the St. Johns River and S.R. 13. Tickets are $15 and free for children 12 and younger, and are available at http://tinyurl.com/buysetickets.

LIGHTHOUSE FESTIVAL

March 20: The 18th Annual Lighthouse Festival will be from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the St. Augustine Lighthouse, 81 Lighthouse Ave., on the island. Admission to the tower, museum and grounds will be free. The maritime museum will be filled with children's games and maritime crafts, pony rides, live entertainment and refreshments. Children need to be 44 inches tall in order to climb the tower, and an adult must accompany children younger than 12. The Junior Service League of St. Augustine's 5K run/walk will be held during festival. The 5K Run begins at 4:30 p.m. and the Fun Run will begin shortly after. Both races will start and finish in front of the lawn of the Keepers' house. Radio Disney AM 600 and the Disney Fun Squad Cast will broadcast live from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and local entertainers will perform throughout the day. Admission is free. Call 829-0745.

ART & CRAFT FESTIVAL

March 20-21: Arts, crafts, music and food will be featured during this two-day festival in the Ponte Vedra Point Shopping Center, 880 A1A North, Ponte Vedra Beach. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 20 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 21. Admission and parking is free. Call (352) 344-0657 or go to www.tnteventsinc.com.

ST. AMBROSE FAIR

March 21: St. Ambrose Catholic Church, 6070 Church Road, Elkton, will host its annual St. Ambrose Spring Fair from noon to 4 p.m. There will be live entertainment, carnival games, a white elephant sale, a food menu that will include traditional pilau, clam chowder and hobo ribs, and more. Proceeds benefit the church. Call 692-1366.

RHYTHM & RIBS FESTIVAL

March 26-28: Live music and barbecue will be back at Francis Field this year, with an appearance by Dave Mason, co-founder of rock group Traffic. Mason's career spans more than 37 years and has encompassed producing, performing and songwriting. Along with his induction as a founding member of the group Traffic into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he has performed to sold-out audiences and on a number of albums such as The Rolling Stones' "Beggars' Banquet," George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass," Paul McCartney's "Listen To What The Man Said" and Jimi Hendrix's "Electric Ladyland." Mason will perform at 8 p.m. March 27 as the festival headliner. Festival hours are 5 to 10 p.m. March 26; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. March 27; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 28. Regular admission is $2 per person; admission is $5 after 5 p.m. March 27; and children 12 and younger are admitted free. Call 669-1872 or go to www.rhythmandribs.net.

EASTER FESTIVAL AT WORLD GOLF VILLAGE

March 27: The World Golf Hall of Fame will host an Easter Festival for children and families March 27 outside the Hall of Fame. The festival will include family activities such as egg hunts, bounce houses, clowns, train rides, IMAX films and more. For ticket information and to purchase tickets, call 940-4010. For other information, call 940-4123 or go to www.worldgolfhalloffame.org.

BLESSING OF THE FLEET

March 28: Watch as watercraft from trawlers, yachts, sailboats and motor craft receive a special blessing on Palm Sunday from the Bishop of the Diocese of St. Augustine at the St. Augustine Municipal Marina. The ceremony dates back hundreds of years and begins at noon with a procession from the Cathedral Basilica to the St. Augustine Municipal Marina. The public is invited.

SPRING ART AND CRAFT FESTIVAL

April 10-11: More than 150 artists will exhibit a variety of media including oil paintings, watercolors, pottery, leather, photography, sculpture, jewelry, wood, textiles and more. Artists will display their creations at Francis Field on Castillo Drive during this two-day festival. A KidZone, festival paint out, art demonstrations, live entertainment and food vendors also are part of the event. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Admission is $1 per person, with the money going to the St. Augustine Art Association. Call 824-2310 or go to www.staaa.org.

SPRING LIVE AND SILENT AUCTION GALA

April 17: Celebrate with San Juan Del Rio Parish at the second Annual Spring Live and Silent Auction Gala at 6:30 p.m. at San Jose Country Club. The cost is $35 per person before April 5, after which it will be $45 per person. Evening attire and jacket are required, and individuals must be 21 or older to attend. For payment information and registration confirmation, go to www.sjdrparish.org/auction.htm. All proceeds benefit San Juan Del Rio Parish.

BARTRAM BASH

April 17: The sixth annual Bartram Bash will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Alpine Groves Park, 2060 State Road 13, in Switzerland. This free event is a combined celebration of William Bartram's birthday and Earth Day. An actor portraying William Bartram will tell of the many plants and animals he encountered along the St. Johns River. This year the festival will start off with a bicycle decorating contest. There also will be free orange juice, a butterfly release, games and prizes, a variety of physical activities and many informational booths, and a free hot dog lunch. Alpine Groves Park is a 55-acre park with a turn-of-the-century restored farm house on a former citrus grove bordering the river. Call Park Naturalist Beverly Fleming at 522-1573.

EPIC FLOWER & GARDEN EXPO

April 17-18: The 14th Annual Flower and Garden Expo is a gardening extravaganza featuring a variety of vendors offering plants, flowers, herbs and gardening accessories at the St. Johns County Agriculture Center, 3125 Agricultural Center Drive, from State Road 16 near I-95. Tickets are $5 (ages 11 and younger are admitted free) and are good for both days, with free parking on site. Lectures, a flower show and a quilt show also will be featured. The event will benefit EPIC Community Services. Call 829-3295 or go to www.epiccommunityservices.org.

FLORIDA'S BIRDING & FOTOFEST

April 22-25: More than 150 birding and outdoor photography events will be presented throughout the county. The festival will launch during the height of spring migration and events for avid birders, nature photographers and those who just wish to learn more about Northeast Florida's natural areas. Headquartered at the University of Florida's Whitney Lab in Marineland, this year's event includes various photography and digiscoping workshops and seminars, bird walks (including in Vaill Point, Ravine Gardens and Alpine Groves), kayak tours, photo safaris and many others events, all led by renowned nature photographers and knowledgeable birders, naturalists and biologists. Go to www.getaway4florida.com/bird_festival.

CATHEDRAL FESTIVAL

April 23-25: The three-day 25th annual Cathedral Festival will be held on the grounds of the Mission of Nombre de Dios, where the great cross stands. The event offers midway rides, games, food, live entertainment, a silent auction, other family-friendly activities and fireworks.

A TASTE OF ST. AUGUSTINE

April 24: The St. Augustine Amphitheatre will be the setting for a marketplace of more than 30 area restaurants offering signature "tastes" as they are judged in various categories. Other food-related vendors will offer cookbooks, specialty items and cooking equipment. Tasting will be from noon to 8 p.m., with live music on stage throughout the day. The event will benefit EPIC Community Services. Call 829-3295 or go to www.epiccommunityservices.org.

GAMBLE ROGERS FOLK FESTIVAL

April 30-May 2: Folk and bluegrass legends will perform in eight venues throughout St. Augustine as part of the 2010 Gamble Rogers Folk Festival. The list of headliners includes Grammy award winners and major motion picture actors and songwriters, including Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys, Loundon Wainwright III, the John Cowan Band, Patty Larkin, Cheryl Wheeler, Pierce Pettis and Greg Brown. This year, the three-day festival takes a new turn by offering entertainment at venues throughout downtown St. Augustine. Camping spots at Anastasia State Park, next to the St. Augustine Amphitheatre, will be available for the nights of April 30 and May 1. The cost is $70 for a tent-only spot and $80 for RV and tent spots. Camping price includes both days. Tickets are $29.50 for April 30, $19.50 for daytime May 1, $29.50 for nighttime May 1, and $19.50 for daytime May 2. A three-day pass will cost $59.50. Ticket outlets include The St. Augustine Amphitheatre Box Office, Music Matters on State Road 312 and www.gamblerogersfest.org. For information on headlining performers, venues and festival details, go to www.gamblerogersfest.org.

BLUE CRAB FESTIVAL

May 28-31: As always, Palatka's Blue Crab Festival will be Memorial Day Weekend. The festival includes free entertainment, vendors, crafts and a beauty pageant.

FLORIDA HERITAGE BOOK FESTIVAL

Sept. 24-25: Now in its third year, St. Augustine's Florida Heritage Book Festival will present best-sellers, writers workshops, authors in schools, literary luncheons and more. Novelist Carl Hiaasen will be honored with the Florida Heritage Lifetime Achievement Award at the Literary Legends Banquet on Sept. 24, being held at the Renaissance Hotel in the World Golf Village. The writers workshop also will be on Sept. 24, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Casa Monica Hotel. Author signings, presentations and exhibits will take place at the Virginia Room of the Flagler College Ringhaver Student Center Building, 50 Sevilla St., on Sept. 25. More information will be available closer to the event, but to learn more now, go to fhbookfest.com or e-mail info@fhbookfest.com.